captions paid for by nbc-universal television good morning. christmas eve rush. 93 million americans heading home for the holidays, and there are major weather concerns coast to coast. heavy snow out west and from texas to florida a severe storm system that could produce christmas day tornadoes. last-minute madness. have you waited until today to finish your up shopping? you're not alone. 17 million americans expected to hit the stores. we'll tell you where you can find huge savings. and the big reveal. gold medal winning volleyball player kerry walsh jennings surprised the world when she announced she's pregnant during the london olympics.

her and her husband are about to find out if they're having a boy or girl live right here on "today" monday, december 24th, 2012. from nbc news this is "today" with matt lauer and savannah guthrie. live from studio 1a in rockefeller plaza. and good morning. welcome to "today" on this monday morning, christmas eve. i'm natalie morales. >> i'm willie geist. matt and savannah have the day off. the treat is lit up. we couldn't resist coming out and spending time with all these people that came out on a chilly morning. >> that's right. a the lot of folks, of course, traveling these holidays as we've heard. unfortunately, there are storms out west and also down in the south that give travelers a cause for concern. we'll go live to the nation's busiest airport and get a first

look. congress is taking a break here and they have that fiscal cliff deadline looming and gun control. two high-ranking senators saying over the weekend about the fiscal cliff more likely a deal won't be met in time. we'll get into that. a piece of "the boston globe" over the weekend where mitt romney's elder son said his father was reluctant and didn'ten to run for president to begin with. long before the duchess cambridge joined the royal family, queen elizabeth was setting the style trends. this morning her fashion secrets revealed but her official dresser. can't wait for that. let's get started with that all-important forecast on this busy christmas eve morning. the weather channel's maria la rosa is in for al upstairs in the stat light center. good morning. >> we have a positive side. it's been a wind snowfall for ski he resorts across the west but travel is a nightmare. they're holding traffic in

passes in the sierra nevada. it pushes to the east, and that's when we are concerned about severe weather. look at the future cast looking at the radar from midnight tonight. you see the heavy rainfall, damaging wind gusts and potentially tornadoes tomorrow morning from eastern louisiana through mississippi, alabama. please make sure you have a way to get those warnings for tomorrow morning. so many are busy and maybe a what from the tv. there is that other side, the wirnd storm side. look at the winter storm warnings in blue stretching from oklahoma city into the great lakes area. keep in mind travel is going to be treacherous. we're look at the snowfall totals, and it's going to be a white christmas from little rock into st. louis. as you get through christmas night and wednesday, up in indianapolis and cleveland. some areas with half a foot of snow, some other areas just enough to make it a white christmas. as it moves into the northeast, we're talking about wind and rain. will have more until a little

bit. natalie. >> thank you very much. what's it look like on the roads and airports for you. gabe gutierrez is at atlanta's hartsfield-jackson international airport. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. a soggy start here in atlanta. there's been some rain moving through the area, and no major delays reported here or any of the other major airports throughout the country so far, but that could change as that winter storm makes its way east. on sunday it dumped rain and delayed flights in san francisco. the relatively calm weekend elsewhere was a welcome relief for millions of air passengers after a blizzard prompted more than 1,000 canceled flights late last week in the midwest and northeast. aaa estimates more than 93 million americans will travel this holiday season, most by car. for those drivers lucky enough to avoid the snow and the ice, there's some good news. gas prices down to an average of $3.24 a gallon. that's down almost 20 cents in a

month. again, here in atlanta it's a soggy start. there are no delays reported at the major airports so far, but again, that could change as that winter storm makes its way east later this week. natalie, back to you. >> gabe gutierrez, thanks so much. of course, the stores will be packed today with last-minute shoppers. mara is braving crowds in herald square in new york. good morning. >> reporter: good moshg. the doors opened the at 7:00 a.m., and stores are opening their door early and offering deep discounts and big deals to try and lure the last-minute shoppers and those procrastinators are expected to flood malls like this all over the country. this year christmas is on a tuesday, so shoppers had tli-day weekend to get it done, but it doesn't mean they have. it's estimated that two-thirds of shoppers wait until the last minute, that including 17 million people that continue to shop today on christmas eve. what are some popular items for

gifts for christmas eve? gift cards and jewelry are bill sellers for all those last minute shoppers. holiday sales can account for 40% of annual sales, so retailers are really hoping these last minute shoppers help them get over a sluggish few weeks. there was a booming black friday and sales slowed in early december. analysts say the lingering effects of hurricane sandy and concerns over the fiscal cliff have put a damper on things battle in terms of people shopping. despite that, projections looking good. sales are expected to be up 4% this year from last year. now, this weekend was a big weekend, thursday through sunday were four of the biggest shopping days of the year. to accommodate those floods of crowds, retailers have extended hours. macy's this year nationwide was open for 48 hours straight to make sure people could come in and get what they needs, and people are spending money. it's estimated people spend over $700 apiece on gifts.

in terms of waiting until the last minute, like a lot are, unfortunately i'm in that group, people say the longer think wait the better deals they get. we stee that to be true. we see sales for up to 70% office, every store window seems to have a sale banner in it. people walt until the last minute to come in and get deals for their gifts for the holidays tomorrow. >> we made it easy for you this morning. now you can turn around and do your christmas shopping. thanks so much from herald square in new york city. let's go back inside to willie. now to the gun control issue that remains front and center ten days after the deadly school shooting in connecticut. the head of the nra answering critics over the weekend following his first comments since the tragedy here's nbc's ron mott. >> reporter: over the weekend the last of the funerals were held as victims a'families work to restart their lives after unthinkable losses. against that somber backdrop the political war of words about guns and the prominence around

america grew more intense. on sunday in an exclusive appearance on "meet the press," the head of the nation's largest and most powerful gun lobby, the national rifle association, defended and expanded upon comments he made friday when he called on congress to fund armed officers in public schools. >> if it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy. i'll tell you what, i think the american people think it's crazy not to do it. >> laperriere's position set off a flurry of public criticism, a sentiment shared by some long-time newtown residents. >> we lost 20 beautiful young children and six educators. it hurts to think we can't as a community come together with more he restrictive rules and regulations to prohibit the sale of these weapons. >> the management of nra is real not taking their responsibility for what they are

doing. >> reporter: in the meantime the mother of 6-year-old noah pozner told nbc news how difficult his death has been on her family, especially on her youngest surviving child. >> she has lost her twin, and that's irreplaceable. you can't buy, beg, borrow, on or steal any of it. they were nine months side by side. now they won't be for the rest of their lives. >> reporter: noah's big sister, 19-year-old danielle, says she and her family are comforted by all the well wishes that poured into their homele town, evidence on the street near the school and piling up at the post office. >> i think it's great. it's some sort of -- it's some sort of comfort to know there's to many people there for us. it's sad that he'll never get it to live his life, but i'm happy that we got the six years that we did with him. he was an amazing boy. >> nbc's ron mott reporting

that. the nra's laperriere said we need to work towards fixingle mental health salmonella and continue prosecutor violent felons with guns. here's natalie. with eight days left until the fiscal cliff deadline and the nation's leaders on a holiday break, there is mounting skepticism about the chances of reaching a deal in time. nbc's white house correspondent kristen welker is in hawaii where the first family is spending the holidays. kristen, good morning. >> reporter: natalie, good morning to you. president obama begins day three of his hawaiian holiday. white house officials say this is a working vacation, but talks on the fiscal cliff remain largely deadlocked. meanwhile, members of congress came to honolulu on sunday to along with the president say good-bye to one of their own. with the fiscal cliff deadline looming, lawmakers and president obama attended a memorial service in honolulu on sunday for the late senator daniel inoyue. >> he was really a legislative

hero who would never hesitated to collaborate with a republican colleague for the good of the country. >> reporter: there was little sign of collaboration on the morning talk shows. >> my one bit of advice to speaker boehner is this. you cannot pass a bill with just republicans. >> the president has been a pathetic fiscal leader. >> both sides blaming each other for the impact. >> i think the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes. i think he sees a political victory the on the bottom of the cliff. >> on taxes it's hard for the republicans, but the president ran on that platform, 250, no tax increases for people below but taxes for people above. he won. >> reporter: those comments cap aa week in which house speaker john boehner and president obama seemed close it to getting a deal, which included tax reform and deficit reduction. the talks fell aaparpaapart. >> how we get there god only knows. >> speaker boehner tried to pass an alternative bill that allowed

tax rates to rise on those making a million dollars or more. >> they weren't taking that out on me. they were dealing with the perception that somebody might accuse them of raising taxes. >> reporter: before jetting off to hawaii, president obama was prepared to accept a smaller deal as long as it prevented taxes from going up on middle class americans and extended unemployment insurance. >> i expect democrats and republicans to get back to washington and have it pass both chambers, and i will immediately sign that legislation into law before january 1st of next year. >> reporter: but americans say the uncertainty in washington is casting a cloud over their holidays. >> they are responsible for the well-being of all americans, and right now they're more woern wored about politics. >> i would tell them to get off their butts, because most of us aren't making six-figure incomes and we need every single dime that we have. >> reporter: now, if we go over the fiscal cliff, taxes will increase for most americans.

lawmakers will return to washington later this week to resume negotiations. president obama is also expected to cut his vacation short. willie, back to you. >> kristen welker in honolulu this morning. thanks. john harwood is the chief washington correspondent and writing for "the new york times." good morning. >> merry christmas, willie. >> merry christmas to you. eight days until the fiscal cliff arrives and by the time congress gets back it's four or five days. is there any he hope remaining at this point for the so-called grand bargain? >> i don't think there will be a grand bargain before the end of the year. there's he hope a deal will be cut before new year's to avert the fiscal cliff by extending tax cuts temporarily or tax cuts from people under $250,000 of income. i spoke this morning to a republican member of congress who said, we still can come back next week, and we can still do it, although, you know, mara was talking in her piece about shoppers who think they get a better deal the longer they

wait. it's a worse deal for the republican party having waited this long, having gotten beaten on the plan b that speaker boehner was trying to do. the terms are getting worse for republicans, not better. >> a lot of people watching this will say if congress couldn't reach a grand bargain with a self-imposed deadline, this so-called fiscal cliff, when will they ever get together and do something big? is there hope beyond the 31st and 1st of this year that eventually there will be a big deal? >> well, i've always been perhaps excessively optimistic about this, but i think, yes. look, members of congress understand that we have a long-term fiscal problem. they have different visions for how to achieve it. the republican party, the house republican party in particular is a little bit out of step with where the country is and are proposing or seeking policies that are not very popular and resisting policies that aren't popular. eventually the speaker and

president were close enough on what can be done on medicare in particular in order to give some hope that you can bridge that last few hundred billion dollars over ten years and make a deal. >> john, i have to ask you about one other thing this morning. "the boston globe" in a deeply reported piece about a post mortem on the romney campaign. it included a quote from ta tag romney that said he wanted to president less than anyone i've met in my life. he had no desire to run. tagg said if his father found someone else to run in ms. place, he would have been he is static to step aside. what do you make of that? >> that must be why he was running the last six or seven years for president. people flatter themselves to say ints because i want it. it's because there's a grassroots ground swell for me or the people want me or whatever. that's not how our politics work. the only people that move ahead are people that want it and want

it really badly. with all due respect to tagg romney, there is no evidence that his father did not want to be president. the evidence is that he wanted to for quite a long time. >> should be interesting conversations around the romney dinner table these holidays. merry christmas to you. thank you. >> you, too. there's a lot of other news to get to as well. erika hill is at the news desk. a local policeman killed a civilian employee at kabul police he headquarters. it's under investigation. it's the latest in a string of green on blue tacks. some 53 international troops have been killed by afghan soldiers or police in the past year. u.s. military officials say it appears a navy s.e.a.l.s commander committed suicide this weekend in afghanistan. his death is under investigation. a united nations envoy is in damascus it this morning in a bid to end the escalating civil

war after a government air strike on a bakery in central syria killed more than 60 people as they were waiting for bread. more than 40,000 people have died since the conflict began in march of 2011. idaho senator michael kra poe is apologizing it to ms. family and constituents after arrested and charged with driving under the influence. he was stopped in virginia for running a red light on sunday. he failed sobriety tests registering a blood alcohol level over the legal limit. the senator who was eye mormon has said in the past he does not drink alcohol as his religion prohibits it. turning to wall street, kayla is at athe new york stock exchange. good morning. >> the stock mark has tracked the progress of the fiscal cliff talks or lack thereof. falling on news of no deal and now at a relative standstill, still the major markets were up and the s&p is up up 13% for the year. later this week we expect more signs of economic improvement especially in the housing

market. home price data comes out on wednesday. new homes sales data comes out on tuesday. we wait and send it back over to you. >> queen elizabeth ii is going 3d. the 86-year-old none nanch filmed her annual christmas day message this year in 3d for the first time ever. she pays tribute to the summer olympics games in london. 2012 is a landmark year for the monarch between the summer games, her diamond jubilee and the news a great-grandchildren is on the way. it's 7:18. back over to natalie, willie and maria. >> odysseying her wi odd seeing glasses over. maria is back for the holiday forecast. >> we have one low coming through, and maybe just enough for a little bit of wet accumulation north and west of the city. it's a lot more rain and the showers and thunderstorms along

that front as it pushing to the east. then all eyes on that western low as it emerges out of the rockies with all the snow. it will bring about rain and the threat for severe weather once again across the south including the threat of tornadoes. the other big story, that same system will bring a lot of snow from places like oklahoma city clear up through the great lakes tomorrow. that's a look at your national weather. get a look at your local forecast right after this. it's santa. mom... i mean, mrs. nelson, i have the perfect gift for you. oh...santa. [ male announcer ] the charmed memories collection at kay jewelers. each charm is hand-crafted in italy, and with hundreds of charms to choose from, the possibilities are endless. turn your special moments into charmed memories. one more reason kay is the number one jewelry store in america. these are for me, right? ♪ every kiss begins with kay >> a mix of rain andn sleet

then changing over to all rain. icy roads natalie and willie, over to you. thank you, maria. coming up are you being watched? why the mannequin you're checking out at the mall could keep an eye on you. >> that's creepy. a rare look inside the queen's wardrobe from her ma s majesty's royal dresser. first, this is "today" on nb

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remarkable 5-year-old girl born with half a heart and hoping for a special christmas gift. will it be a boy or girl for ke kerri walsh jennings. maddy, come on. we got a new book! yay! come get into bed. this is a story about jingle the husky pup. and jingle was a good dog. ruff! ruff! jingle loved to bark hello. ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! jingle even loved to sing. ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! ruff! jingle!

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now time for a check on your morning commute with traffic pulse 11. here is sarah caldwell. >> if you're doing last-minute shopping, here is what it looks like. another one in the city had erred and ave and belair road. looking good on the north side appeared a bit of a minor delay on the west side outer loop at i-70. 47 miles per hour. moving well with i-95 on the southwest side. not tracking any delays at the harbor tunnel. prices start at the keybridge -- prices start at the keybridge. ava has weather to talk about. >> clouds building in across the state. look at the rain into north

carolina and virginia. this is what we have to worry about in maryland, as some temperatures a starting at or below freezing. sleet and rain and that it changes completely to rain. across the state, icy conditions and in the mountains. baltimore changes over to that rain. we expect it cold temperatures we expect it cold temperatures

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the dancing twins, online superstars this year before they could walk. we'll catch up with them later this week and other viral hits of 2012 when they join us live in the studio. >> i love that one. >> 7:30 now on this monday morning, christmas eve, december 24th 20sh, 2012. i'm willie geist with natalie in for matt and savannah. i feel like the grinch over

here. >> the duchess of cambridge may be the royal fashion icon of the moment, but the queen has also been setting stryle trends for more than 50 years and apparently she has a big say in what she wears. we'll get some wardrobe secrets from the queen's official dresser and designer. a family with a huge heart adopts a sick little girl in need of a new one. now they hope for a christmas miracle. we will meet them. beach volleyball superstar kerri walsh jennings told us she was pregnant during the olympics in london, in fact, during the gold medal game where she won the olympic third gold medal. sh morning she and her husband are with us to share big news. will baby number three be another boy or the first girl for the jennings family. they're about to find out live, and i'm so excited for them. >> they will find out aalong with us. look forward to that. a lot of people are out shopping today.

someday soon a favorite store may keep tabs on you and wait until you you see how they do it. stephanie gosk has that. good morning. what are we talking about here. >> it's creepy. you have that sensation it feels sl like someone is watching you and it's a mannequin. now that mannequin could be watching you, too. there's always been something a little unnerving about mannequins. the poses, not exactly natural. the bodies, not entirely normal. and those vacant, unblinking stares. one italian mannequin company thought it was time for an upgrade, something a little more human. >> we came out with this idea to combine technology with the mannequin. what we call the i see mannequin. we put it in one of the two eyes. >> reporter: this mannequin can see shoppers with a camera placed right behind one of its eyes. >> the blue square says you're a

male. >> reporter: the technology relying on facial recognition software. unlike security cameras up high, these cameras are eye level. they can log jerngender, race a age before a shopper realizes it. ever feel like somebody's watchiwatc watching you? good for security and understanding behavior. the tracks what people buy, how long they linger, if they've been in the store before. >> they're looking at the brands. they need to know their clients. >> reporter: to far only a few dozen have been sold in europe and the u.s., but the orders keep coming in even though there's some skepticism on the streets. >> i think it's kind of creepy, actually. i don't like that idea at all. it seems a big like big brother. >> that's weird and sick. >> especially if i was shopping in the underwear second. >> reporter: one high-end retailer in manhattan says it won't use the i see, worried an invasion of privacy.

>> with a mannequin it's more frightening, that old movie fx where someone is watching you. ilts concerning. >> reporter: in this economy the last thing stores want to do is square people away. >> fr you're doing things the customer aren't comfort aable with, you cross a line. >> reporter: maybe if the mannequins were a little more human. >> that's a great idea. if you need something you can ask them where it is. >> there are actual real people already hired to do that. manufacturers say they are selling swiftly, but whether we asked them guys which stores are using them, they were reluctant to tell us. >> i can see why. a little creepy. >> don't want to know either. >> it gave natalie the opportunity to talk about her favorite movie of all time, 1987's "mannequin." >> that was such a bad movie. who thought of that? okay. a little bit. >> nau so much, stephanie. >> thanks for outing me, willie. let's get a check of the weather

right now from maria la rosa who is in for aal. hey, maria. >> today's weather is brought to you by jared, the galleria of jewelry. a unique selection to find the perfect ring. that's why he went to jared. >> all right, welcome to the plaza. we have lots of reasons to celebrate on this day before christmas. what's your name and where are you? >> gabby from corpus christi, texas. >> welcome. happy birthday. i'm hoping for a little bit of snow. possibly north and west of the city today, this is sort of round one. we have a system coming through. some wet accumulation, but moreover it's a rainmaker for the south and mid-atlantic. in the west you talk about the big snow, the big christmas day snowmaker for a lot of us as it moves into the plains. winter weather all the way from places like oklahoma city into st. louis, but another important part to be aaware of. the severe weather potential across the south. tornadoes from eastern louisiana through mississippi into alabama. please make sure you have a way

to get w >> a wintry mix moving into the state. temperatures in the upper 30's to the low 40's. >> you can look at your local forecast 24/7 on the aair on the weather channel or weather.com. back to you. >> maria, thank you. this year we saw britain's queen elizabeth celebrate her diamond jubilee, marking six decades on the throne. now we get a rare look at her style in a new book written by her official dresser. nbc's michelle is here with more. good morning, michelle. >> hi, natalie. for more than 60 years the queen has been a fashion icon.

in fact, recently versace called her rock 'n roll and said she would love to dress her in black, which would be interesting. now we find out such secrets as her ma majesty does not perspire and what is tiara time. over the years all the dresses, coats and matching hats, gowns, and diamonds and weather-proof queen wear. in all of her elegance, yes, before kate, the queen was, is a fashion icon. now angela kelly the queen's dresser and designer of all outfits for nearly 20 years opened up the closet and said the queen is frugal. for the diamond jubilee they used fabrics on hand. for this one, more than 50 years old. everything she wears must be wrinkle proof, easy to wave in and hem lines weighted something kate will learn. in case of rain a vast

collection of clear umbrellas with trim to match any outfit. they say the queen has a passion for this. >> she would crawl around to the floor of her dressing room and look at the patterns and fabrics. >> reporter: the queen aappropp every idea in pain-stakingly crafted detail. shepped design this gown with 2,000 hand sewn silk shamrocks and her shoes are handmade. there are the jewels presented to her in trays that her grandmother queen mary embroidered herself. this tiara has places to hang gems and queen elizabeth likes to dabble in tiara maintenance. >> she enjoys her tiara time. >> after her skit with james bond at want olympics, no one can say the queen isn't up for surprises. the dress had to be maybe in double, one for the stuntman. for months dressmakers had no idea why. we found out queen has another

surprise quality. >> the fact she doesn't really perspire even in the hottest temperatures as her cousin, lady pamela hicks told me, her skin does not run water. >> makes for tidier clothes, one must look smashing. when you ask fashion experts why they admire her style so much, they say she looks perfectly put foeg and ladylike. she is willing to try new things, but it's never look at me. it's about looking absolutely appropriate to the indication. like you, natalie. >> thauchlt i'm fascinated she doesn't perspire. i wonder what her secret is. up. >> i think that's a medical story. >> merry christmas touchlt good to see you in the studio. >> you, too. a 5-year-old girl born with half a heart hoping for a special gift this holiday season right after this. [ gasps ] will you marry me? ♪ yes! ♪

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♪ back now at 7:42 with a story of hope for a 5-year-old girl born with a life-threatening heart defect. co tom costello has the details. good morning. >> reporter: this will little girl has survived for two years, even though doctors thought she might not survive the plane ride to baltimore with her parents. now she and her family are praying for a very special christmas gift, the gift of life. in an or fajage south of beij g beijing, she was the frail 3-year-old with a shortened arm and two fingers waiting for a family. >> geez, look at that. >> she stole her adoptive parents' hearts. ann and brett had eight kids back home, four adopted. this little girl they named

teresa was so sick she needed urgent help. >> we knew she was terminally ill, but we were ready and we were prepared to make her as happy can be for however long god with share her with us. >> terminally ill with half a heart. making matters worse her lungs were permanently damaged. adopting a child can take a year or longer, time teresa didn't have. that's where cindy jones expected. they expected red tape when they called u.s. immigration for help. instead, officer jones answered the phone. >> it touched something in my heart that made me know how much she loved this girl, even if they never got to raise her. she loved her. how can i not help? how can i not do everything for them? >> in just 42 days teresa was approved for adoption. >> for the 15-hour flight home it was pins and needles the entire time. >> you didn't think she'd make

it? >> no. her lips were blue and her fingertips were blue. >> her breathing was heavy. >> it was scary. >> she made it all the way to baltimore where for the past two xaf years with her oxygen tube trailing behind her she's learning ballet and english. >> what are you ing? >> i'm delivering them. >> you're delivering what? >> leaves. >> leaves? >> celebrating birthdays and holidays and making endless trips to the doctors. teresa's condition is called hypoplastic left heart syndrome in which the left ventricle is missing. her only hope is a heart transplant. doctors thought she'd never be strong enough, but this little 5-year-old has surprised everyone. she's at the top of the transplant list. with her sisters making ging gingerbreads she talked about a big dream. >> i want to feel good.

>> to ride your bike without your oxygen, right? >> uh-huh. >> aadopting so many special needs kids has cost them all of their savings. their grown biological kids just smile. >> it's a full house with a lot of love, and it's tough at times but it's -- it's a lot of fun. i wouldn't change it t. i enjoy every second. >> are we going to get our new heart? >> a few weeks aago they were called to the hospital by the transplant team, but the donor heart wasn't a good match. teresa's sisters are scared. they know a heart transplant is risky. >> i'm afraid that she might not be -- make it through the transplant and hopefully she will. >> there's one more thing you should know about teresa. she is named after mother teresa, and her birthday is christmas day. what a gift that would be. >> the best christmas gift ever. the best birthday gift ever.

>> i love you. >> i love you. i love you more. >> the family is also terribly pained at the thought that another child would have to die in order for teresa to live, but they also want to draw attention to the large numbers of orphans in china who need loving parents, especially kids with special needs. willie. >> what a beautiful little girl, and an early happy birthday to tere teresa. thank you so much. still ahead on this christmas eve, from gifts to decorating, a last-minute holiday guide. up next, the season's best awkward family photos. maybe you'll find yourself in some of these right after this. ♪

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are quirky. that's a nice way to put it. >> we have a collection from our friends at awkwardfamilyphotos.com. matching christmas sweaters. >> coordination. >> dresses and pants even. >> sometimes you like to dress up as a gift. >> do you? >> why not? i don't. but they do. and christmas trees. >> okay. i can see that one. that's kind of cute. >> get the whole family together to look like a christmas tree. >> it's cute and original, actually. a family is having fun. all right. >> reindeer. the reason dare is not the problem there. why sitting on detergent. >> dash away, dash away, dash away all. >> you did research. that wasn't fair. >> i had the same thought this morning, and then i read it. >> well-done. >> okay. now, this you wrap your kids in lights. okay. no. >> maybe you call the authorities when you see a picture like that. >> it's cute, though.

>> what about santa having a rough day. >> having a rough day with a black eye. >> you think? >> oh, dad. somebody forgot his pjs. >> maybe those are his pjs. >> sometimes people like on to get their pets in the action. okay, that's pretty creepy. >> that i'm uncomfortable with. >> i guess he that's all the time we have for. there's much more. still to come, kerri walsh jennings on what she's having, boy or girl. >> that's after your local news. >> somebody gave someone aa gift one year for christmas, and that person gave it to another one of us the next year. >> there's no group of people i'd rather be with then these folks here. >> every day is a gift. did you get chips for the party? nope.

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm jennifer franciotti. here is the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> a lot of folks have reached their holiday destinations. we are looking pretty good with the north side of checking out ok. 35 miles per hour. if you want to head out in annapolis, very smooth start. outer loop traffic just a bit slow at i-70. j.f.x., this is what it looks

like, 49 miles per hour. if you want to head out on 83, harrisburg expressway, 60 miles per hour from the maryland line. 95 is delay-free as well. we're checking out just fine at the harbor tunnel. >> here comes the rain back into the mid-atlantic. here comes the pink stunning to show up in virginia. this interaction with temperatures at or below freezing. 31 in college park, 30 and 80 this burke, 25 in frederick. -- 30 in fredericksburg, 25 in frederick. t to already knows how the annapolis. this could cause some icy conditions on the roads west of

hagerstown. partly sunny tomorrow for christmas. another storm system comes in wednesday into thursday. this could bring icy weather to our area

8:00 now on this monday morning, the 24th of december, 2012. a brisk christmas eve morning in the northeast. in the mid-30s or so on the plaza. they're ail bundled up, and we're all keeping warm together here. everybody is in the cheer of the holiday spirit. natalie morales along with willie geist. matt and savannah have this christmas eve off. >> merry christmas, natalie. a lot of you will hit the malls today with last-minute shopping. we'll tell you which stores are open and where you can find deals aat this late hour.

good news is there's still time. also ahead beach volleyball great kerri walsh jennings joined us after the london olympics and she revealed she was pregnant during the olympics games during her run for the third gold medal. is baby boy -- is baby number three a boy or girl. they're going to tell us moment rim. i can't wait. i'm so excited for them. they have two boys already. what do you think the odds are? i don't know. i'm thinking boy. >> you're thinking another boy? >> i don't know. she says she thinks girl. we'll see. >> we'll find out in a few minutes. we put ourselves to the test to see which of us knows the most about the holiday season with a little trivia game. i hope you're ready for that. >> i feel a challenge coming in. erica hill is at the news desk.

>> 93 million americans are traveling for the holidays and many could run into a winter storm. meteorologists say the strong could strengthen as it goes east. there could be delays at major airports today. president obama and lawmakers will be at work thursday following the christmas holiday. time is running out to aavert the fiscal cliff of tax increases and spending cuts that start january 1st. some lawmakers expect something will be passed, but nothing that will solve the nation's growing financial problem. a boston police officer is being called a hero after jumping into frigid water to save a drowning woman. cell phone video captured officer edward norton taking the plunge in torrential rain after a woman fell into the four point channel. norton is being praised for his quick action. he said it's all in a day's work. >> it's christmas in great britain and the royals are celebrating with traditions old and new. we have the latest from london. jim, good morning.

>> reporter: good morning, erica from a blustery london today. as the queen prepares for yet another holiday season, britons are looking back on a truly remarkable year. queen elizabeth may believe in a traditional christmas, but her promotional video of this year's christmas speech looks more like a movie trailer. in a year na marked diamond jubilee celebrations for her 60 years on the throne and her virtual parachuting into london's olympic games. >> they gave the rest of us an opportity to share something of the excitement and drama. >> reporter: in a technological first the speech is viewable in 3d when it airs tomorrow. still, there will be few surprises the at the windsor's estate where the royal family celebrates christmas with a clock-like routine. >> christmas day with the royals is regimented from queen victoria's time at 11:00 a.m.

they go to the local chapel for mass. this particular service can be no longer than 12 minutes long. >> there will be some missing royals aat this year's royal christmas events. prince harry is on duty in afghanistan where he flies apache helicopters in a combat role. while kate pregnant and recovering from aacute morning sickness will spend her christmas with william and her own family at their home. >> they're a modern couple prepared to do things they're way. >> by all accounts the queen has approved. despite the controversial prank telephone call to the ailing du duchess and the death of the nurse, kate is deeply sad and soldiering through it and looking forward to giving birth to an heir to the throne. for a look at what's trends today, aa quick roundup of what has you talking online. "newsweek" releaseded a cover for the final inish uto hit

newsstands. it features a vintage picture with #lastprintissue. this issue is available on tablets before readers can buy it in print. real housewives of new york city star bethenny frankel and her husband are separating. the ups and downs of the couple's marriage and the birth of their daughter have been documented by their reality series over the last three years. this cat is going viral for showing his true inner grinch. check it out. >> maybe the cat just doesn't like the choice of paper. ouch. it is now 8:05, back to maria la rosa in for al with a check of the weather. >> "today's" weather is brought

to you by kay jewellers. i'm talking about a white christmas on this christmas eve. look at the usually chantss. the see the northern tier looking at that 30% to 40%. we go into actual christmas day and who will see a while christmas. this is the snow cover and all that part in yellow are areas to pick up snow on christmas day. we go from white christmas it to blue christmas. we're breaking news on "today." what's your name? >> christie dobbins and my husband is john behind me, and we're having a boy. congratulations. >> congratulations. >> thank you. that's a look at the >> a mix of rain andn sleet then changing over to all rain. icy roads

and that's your national weather. >> maria, so far on the baby tally we have one boy outside. now we'll find out another one. a big holiday surprise is coming up for olympic gold medalist kerri walsh jennings. she'll find out with the rest of you whether her third baby is a boy or a girl. that's right after this. for centuries." ♪ this levian collection is amazing. maybe it's time to start your own. [ female announcer ] kay jewelers presents today's levian collection... [ gasps ] featuring exclusive levian chocolate diamonds. from the levian family - where the latest in fashion meets fine jewelry. one more reason kay is the number-one jewelry store in america. it's... a work of art? ♪ every kiss begins with kay and eddy said the toys might not be ready!

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[ male announcer ] 'tis the season for nonstop cheer and nonstop get-togethers. thankfully, walgreens makes it easy to enjoy the holidays, with everything from tasty good & delish brand treats to unique holiday décor. so rsvp "yes" and spread some cheer of your own. come to walgreens for hershey's kisses chocolates and all the treats of the season. and most stores are even open christmas day, here. at the corner of happy and healthy. back at 8:10 with beach volleyball great kerri walsh jennings. she won a gold medal this summer. she joined us a few weeks later with her husband to reveal exciting and surprising news. >> casey and i wanted to come on today and share other news. when i was throwing my body

around fearlessly and going for gold for our country, i was pregnant. today i'm 11 weeks pregnant. >> and they are back this morning because in just a moment they're going to find out if their baby, baby number three, is a boy or a girl. kerri, casey, good morning. joey and sundance as well as all your family there. merry christmas. >> merry christmas eve. >> the anticipation is killing us here, but we're going to keep it going for a little bit. now, you have accomplished so much, kerri. your third gold medal and now your third pregnancy. how have you felt in year through all of this? >> oh, my goodness. i was kind of reflecting last night just thinking of the summer and how amazing it was and just to slide right into this pregnancy. it's been insane, but the thing that makes is to wonderful and more special is everyone i'm surrounded by and all our family, my family up north, it's been an amazing year. i'm going to get emotional.

we're going to share something so special today. i've been dying for two months to find out. we're going to do it today. >> casey, do you ever stop and marvel what your wife does. she was in the sand winning a gold medal while she was pretty well on and pregnant. >> yeah. i feel like i'm started to get used to once in a while, but i think it's impossible. she keeps continuing to one-up herself every time. she's pretty special what she does. >> kerri, i know you're still training throughout the pregnancy, but also you were a judge just last week on the miss universe pageant. was that fun for you? >> it was so much more fun than i expected and i expected it to be a great time. the judges were were awesome. seeing mr. trump was fantastic. it's been good. thank god i'm working out. that's my sanity. >> are we dragging this out long enough.

>> you can tell i'm letting the moment keep going. >> we're going to the miss universe pageant. >> i can't wait anymore. do the boys have a feeling either way, or do you they want a baby sister or another brother? >> they've been saying more so boy. >> yeah. >> i think they don't know what's really going on. >> you think it's a girl? >> i think it's a girl from day one even though there's feelings it's ajiboyajiboy boy. >> kerri, you're thinking girl, and you have a tradition. you have an ornament. go ahead and open it up for us. >> she's thinking boy. >> do you want to help me, baby? do you want to help me. >> rip it open. ready? got to hurry. okay. >> we can't wait. >> we'll open this.

oh, it's stuck. it's a girl! it's a girl. >> a little princess. >> no way! >> casey, you're on. >> you're going to have a baby sister. >> a baby sister. a baby sister. >> oh, my god. it's a girl! you're going to have a sister. >> you felt it, but you're still surprised. >> we have something else. we have something on that i wanted to give you. >> we're having a girl. >> they helped me make this. >> did you know? >> no, i didn't know. >> i didn't peek. we had it on the mantle for a month, and it was an easy access box. to open it up and look -- i think our neighbors know, but they never told us. >> well, i know you all are going to have an incredible christmas, and a little something special just for you.

>> what is it? >> on the inside it has all of our names on it and it says all you need is love and there's a symbol, the symbol for a female on it. >> kerri and casey, we'll let you share the moment with your family members. thank you for sharing with us. congratulatio congratulations. >> she wishes for things, and they just happen. thank you, guys. >> i know. well, we need more of that in this world. thank you, guys, again. merry christmas. we're back right after this. [ male announcer ] citi price rewind can get you

a lower price on your gifts. getting them home? wow. yeah. that's another story. citi price rewind. see how you can save at citi.com/pricerewind. aunt sally's singing again. it's a tradition, honey. [ singing christmas carols ] mmmm. [ female announcer ] make new traditions with pillsbury grands! cinnamon rolls. how much is your current phone bill? four sixteen seventy six a month!

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"today" celebrates the holiday is brought to you by silky smooth dove dark chocolate. back now at 8:18. and it this morning on "today" celebrates the holidays, a special monday filled with last-minute christmas ideas. >> if you're in a jam we have three experts to help. let's get started with where to shop on christmas eve. jean is "today's" financial editor. good news for people that haven't thought about it yet is these stores are open late tonight. kmart is open until 8:00. >> just spend five minutes before you go to the stores and decide what to buy. this is when we went crazy and make mistakes and spend too

much. at kmart jewelry is on sale 75% to 80% off diamond jewelry. you spend $99 you get a free pair of earrings. you can cover two birds with one stone there. >> that's good for the grown-ups. toys-r-us has expanded hours? >> they are also open until 10:00 tonight. video games, if you buy one you get one 30% off on games 24.99 and above. some lego sets are 25% off. those are good things to know before you go. >> target has a last-minute sale today? >> yeah. they have an ipod touch 16 gigabyte ipod touch. you buy one and get a $50 gift certificate, and that's good for somebody who might want to start their valentine's day shopping a little bit early. also, the leapfrog leap pad 1, $59. that's the lowest price all holiday season. >> you talk about shopping

online to find out what you want before going in the store. best buy can do that and pick it up today. >> you have to place the order before 3:00 in the afternoon. it's only open until 5:00. it's getting people home to celebrate christmas eve. a 46-inch samsung tv is on sale for 599. also, a sony blu-ray disk player for $89. >> those are good deals. have you done all your shopping? >> we're a hanukkah family. we're done and we go to a friend's house and eat and celebrate. >> don't tell anyone. i'm going to take advantage of thee these. natalie. coming up next last-minute decorating tips. amy goodman has ideas. if you're a host or hostess you have great ideas for last minute holiday preps. >> this is do it yourself waterless snow globes great to be with kids. you open up the lid and secure styrofoam with glue.

you put in decorations, and na makes your backdrop. in the forefront you can use ornaments and do it with vintage ornament to preserve them. to make the snow you actually use glue. you can put in glitter like from martha stewart crafts glitter is great because it's so fine or this faux snow and that sticks around the sides. you put them together, and an instant snow globe. >> the kids enjoy that. these are great wine candleabra with the wreath here. >> you take the wine bottles out and seek them in hot water to get the labels off and use macking time for your stripe. you use spray paint and spray it away. place nem this beautiful wreaths and top them with candles. you had a modern candle ab ra made from wean bottine bottles.

>> a lot of us have problems. >> don't put nem in a stack because no one sees them. splash them up on your wall in the form of a christmas tree. i like flat double-sided tape or tap it with a gold star or angel or whatever your crafty hands can make with scissors. this is perfect for the holid holidays. >> it's a great way to show it. over here to set your table, you have a great idea for place settings. >> this is a minty moment. i hot glued together three candy canes, but you can't eat these. we have mints around beautiful candles i bought from target. they're upper open until 9:00 p.m. tonight. you have after dinner mints. >> most things are 50% off, too, so you can take advantage of the christmas bargains as well. erica. thanks. finally, what to buy if you're really in a pinch.

"shape" magazine's editor in laurnlg is here. you have nothing left at the grocery store. >> the obvious gift is the flowers, but something nor thauftful and simple is to put together this great cheese platter. all you need is a bamboo or wooding cutting board, some knives and a great selection of hard and soft cheeses and rolls of salmi or sausage or any other type of meat. >> it doesn't look last minute at all. >> it's terrific. >> you have great ideas at the drugstores. >> we expect to find gift cards, but walgreens and cvc have good electronics as well. for example, at walgreens i found in great karoke player, only 39.9 the. a wonderful way to bond with the families over the haul days. >> you're bringing part of party at that point. >> at cvc you get this dvd

system for 69.99 five speakers and the subwoofers. >> the liquor store, the bottle of wine. >> right. get into the holiday spirit with great blends. newcastle has a winter ipa and sam adams has it and six different types of beer, including white christmas and holiday porter and higher end champagne lines. they're getting in on the fun as well. you can get this champagne, the yellow bottle. this cute little tin is like a sardine can. >> now we're talking last minute. you find yourself at the gas station. >> right. nothing else seems to be open, but thankfully you can save christmas with three little ideas here. all you need is a gift bag. make a cocoa and coffee mix. cute little treat for the wintertime, or for the ice cream loverer grab two pints of ice cream, cones, sprinkles and put it together and a great little dessert. for the movie lover grab a

movie, nice box of popcorn and beef jerky and don't forget the candy. >> i love this. it seems, again, like it was not last minute, but amazing find ought the things probably on your way as you pull off on the highway. >> you just need creativity. >> great ideas. coming up, we have more last minute advice for you. the secret to a quick and easy holiday feast. that's right ahead after your local news. christmas was huge in my family. my dad was born on christmas day. >> traditions at home connect on the show. >> there's no group i'd rather be with than these folks here. every day is a gift.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> good morning. i'm jennifer franciotti. let's get a final check of the morning commute with sarah caldwell. >> still some last-minute shoppers. we are up to speed on the north side. 55 miles per hour. here is what looks like on the north side. southbound j.f.x., 48 miles per hour on coldspring. here is a live picture of the j.f.x. at ruxton road. looking good. here is a map on 95 southbound

towards the fort mchenry. 55 miles per hour. anything checking out ok at this hour. quite right for now, but the weather is moving in. >> we have rain from the south. temperatures will be at or below freezing 33 in catonsvillle. 28 in sex mildred unfortunately, we -- 28 in sykesville. this is trying to transition into sleet. roads should not be too bad across the metro area. we have to watch out in the mountains from hagerstown west as they could get 8 rain-snow mixture, possibly accumulating into freezing rain. it could make for slick conditions to upper 30s today, mid-forties tomorrow.

wednesday, another icy mixture. >> another update at 8:55.

8:30 now on this monday morning. christmas eve, december 24th, 2012. we have a nice crowd spending a little time on christmas eve with us on the plaza. i'm whillie geist along with natalie morales and erica hill. you're probably wrapping presents and traveling a little bit today. the last thing you want to do is

spend the day in the kitchen. we have a quick and easy christmas meal to whip up. >> sounds good. we have our favorite holiday movie, right? don't tell us just yet. coming up we'll reveal what our favorite holiday movie is as well as put our christmas knowledge to a test in a friendly competition. >> always a friendly competition, right? >> yeah. >> ann curry will introduce with a tribute it to a generation of women from world war ii who worked so hard to make this country what it is today. really inspiring story there. first, let's get a check of the christmas day forecast. we have maria la rosa in for al this morning. good morning. >> good morning. definitely hiccups with holiday traveling. let's get to today and talk about the potential for severe weather in eastern texas and aalong with that showers and thunderstorms through the southeast. maybe a little bit of wet accumulation in the southeast. a lot of snow today moving into the plains, and we have the

heavy snow and wind but also a high severe potential risk here during christmas day from louisiana, mississippi, into alabama. the possibility of tornadoes, damaging wind gusts as well. make sure you have a way to get warnings. a lot of folks are busy this morning and not paying attention to the television. keep it on and if tunedf >> a wintry mix moving into the state. temperatures in the upper 30's to the low 40's. >> and remember, you can check your forecast 24/7 at weather.com. willie, back to you. >> thanks very much. coming up next, the special

story brought to us by ann curry about a remarkable group of women that answered the call when the country needed them most. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back now at 8:35 with a group of women who went above and beyond to keep this country safe. between 1939 and 1945, factories were filled with women. they built airplanes, ships, even tanks turning out more hardware than ever before. today some of those women are in their late 80s and 90s. ann curry took time to get to know and honor them. >> countless of images from world war ii settle into the collective memory. they tell stir a story of a wor

turmoil and the soldiers that set it right. one image shows the stateside army behind the men, a wartime poster of a girl they called rosie, rosie the riveter. >> i worked as a riveter. >> i was an inspector. >> lab technician. >> i made machine guns. >> i was a welder. >> rosie symbolized all the women that replaced aprons with power tools stepping out of the shadows and up to the cause to build arms for the soldiers abroad. now nearly three-quarters of a century later, some have only just begun to tell their stories. >> this is december 8th. >> pearl harbor had been bombed. 23, 2400 americans killed. >> here in an old factory where several once built naval ships, 50 rosies look back. >> i heard it on the little radio. >> december 7th, 1941.

a day which will live in infamy. >> i'm 17. i stood and listened to it, and i was so sad all those boys got kill killed. >> we knew it was war. >> when our boys left class, you knew they might not come back, and it was terrible. >> all the newspapers were putting ads in asking the women to go to the plants. over a million women answered at that call. >> american women are alert to the dangers which tlehreaten or democracy today. >> answering that patriotic call would change the lives of american women and how they viewed themselves forever. by 1944, 20 million women worked outside the home, 6 million of them in the factory jobs their boys left behind. evelina, is it true when you arrived at factory, they gave you a broom?

>> that's right. >> what did you stay? >> i swept all day, and i was mad. i threw the broom down on the floor, and i said i did not come out here as a janitor. if this is all you got to hand me, i quit. boy, the boss, he came real quick to me, and he said we need people like you. you stay. >> you became a riveter? >> rosie the riveter. >> rosie the riveter. >> for the first time women got to wear the pants, literally. >> women working in industrial plants need costumes which are comfortable and safe around machinery. >> i have a surprise for you. i want to know -- >> oh! >> did anybody wear overalls and look a little bit like this? >> i wore coveralls. >> the thing is before these

coveralls, women didn't wear pants? >> no, no. >> and i see a lot of you have taken still it to wearing pants. >> yeah. >> many of them still teenagers were given just weeks of training for jobs the men before them had years to learn. >> i didn't even know how to fry an egg when i went to work. i didn't do anything except have a good time and walk and laugh and cut up. >> agnes was the first woman to operate a crane in your factory. >> here's my license. the boss said these boys are now leaving for the service, so it's up to you women to start operating the cranes and the trucks. he reached in his pocket and he says, here, agnes, here's your license. >> thousands of women are here engaged with fingers and

devotion. >> soldiers' lived shielded by the machines they pieced together know one slopary rivet could bring down a plane. >> are the people using it going to be killed because of me and something that i didn't know how to do? that was the main worry. >> we had to get this work done so we could get to the end the of the war. we had to get the boys home. >> the unconditional surrender of japan. >> over the intercom came the words, war ends. we could go home. and people went wild. >> all the hugging and the kissing and that and the dancing in the streets because the war was over. >> when the ticker tape had he

celebrated and it died down, the women were told to go home. they were simply no longer needed. you didn't know at the time what you had done for women. >> that's right. >> in fact, many of you didn't even talk about what you had done? >> no, we didn't think about it. >> why wouldn't you talk about it? >> we just thought it was a job we done, and that was it. >> though the rosies are in their late 80s or 90s, some of their children are beginning to learn what their mothers have done. >> the only regret i had is not realizing the impact sooner. i'm really thankful that i've been able to talk and learn more about it and to be able it to thank her. >> i'm going to tell my daughter that her great-grandmother helped to end a war. she helped to make a country whole again. opened the door for her to be able to do whatever she sets her

mind to. >> why is it so important that we talk to you now? >> whenever i mention rosie the riveter, a lot of young people, they thought that it was the dance. i said, no, it's not a dance. i said, it's when we used to work during the war is what it was. it's just good history. there's so many things in our life, past lives that have died out that you never know about. >> you say if you don't get the message out now -- >> we won't. >> it won't be told. >> i really feel great about what i did. i feel like i done something worthy. >> ann curry with that portrait of those amazing women. coming up next, the quick tips for a feast for your family.

first, this is "today" on nbc.

this morning on "today's" holiday kitchen, last minute christmas dishes. if you're worries about what to serve guests tomorrow don't panic. sunny is here to save you. good to see you you. >> nice to see you, too. happy holidays. >> i walked in and usually we taste at the end of the segment. the ham lookd so good i had a piece before. i cheated a little bit. >> it's simple. if your pantry is all right, you have to pick up the ham today. no big deal. we make a honey mustard ham. very easy. brown sugar and add in the zest of two oranges. for that, a couple of sprigs of thyme all chopped up. while you mix that together,

take some whole ground mustard and slather it on top of the half of the ham. it's like a little spackle, you know what i mean? we're building a meal here, so we need spackle for all of the layers of love we put onto it. >> what do you like? >> i like it because it has texture and bite to it. we put something sweet. it's a little tangy as well so it cuts through the brown sugar. you go ahead and put your brown sugar mixture right on top of it. you can use your hands and smash it in. get in there, willie. let's do this. >> here we go. that's a lot of sugar, too? >> yeah, it is. ham is already salty, so it's nice to add sugar to it. into the roasting pan herele a little bit of orange juice. what will happen is as this cooks in the oven at 375 degrees, a little bit of the juices are going to run down. you go in, and in about 15 minutes scoop it over the top. right before it goes in the oven, a little bit of honey. >> there's the honey.

>> honey mustard. >> is the o.j. about moisture? >> about moisture and flavor. you want to cook it in a moist environment so it doesn't dry out of the ham. >> you didn't put a ton in there? >> not a lot. a couple of o.j. the at the bottom. >> it's a little uneven. i apologize for this. >> this is easy. you don't have to be particular about it. i'm not a chef but a cook. 375 in the oven until it's 145 degrees internally. it takes about 45 minutes. here is the ham. >> i know it's incredibly good. make this today. >> really easy. when you take it out of the oven, tent it with aluminum foil while it rests for a minute. if you peel it off too soon, it will get dry on you. the next thing to do in the same oven, 37 5 degrees is my easy h roasted sweet potato mash. these are four pounds sweet t

potatoes and two pounds of vidalia onions and some salt and permanen pepper. it troroasts for 45 minutes. put it in after you put the ham in. you drop everything in here. this is simple. it's just roasted red potatoes or sweet potatoes, excuse me, some onions and the olive oil and salt and pepper on top. then four tablespoons of butter. >> there's the key right there. there it is. >> you know what i'm saying? for four pounds it's not that much. right out of the oven into here, and then you whip it up, and that's it right there. >> that looks really good. >> it's simple to do. >> dessert that involves whiskey. i like this idea already. >> it's an easy pecan pie. go and buy the pie crust, really simple to put it together. brown sugar, corn syrup, some eggs and a little tempering with

the pecans and everything. throw it into the pie shell. 350, so you lower the oven to 350. it's done in 30 minutes and then you make a little bit of -- >> what do we have there, sunny? >> whiskey whipped cream. you whisk it until it forms soft peaks and add in sugar and favorite whiskey. keep it moving and don't let the kids touch it. >> if the whiskey pie wasn't enough, you have sangria to go with it. >> it's about that blood red color in the wintertime, so this is my easy winter sangria made with blood oranges and orange liqueur, orange juice and a couple of cheap bottles of red wine and mix it up with 7up or lemon lime soda. you're good to go. >> merry christmas. how to survivor uncomfortable social situations when you're family gets together for the holidays.

sangria helps. first, this is "today" on nbc.

back at 8:51 with a reminder about what the holiday season is all about, the magic of christmas through the eyes of kids.

♪ sleigh bells ring are you listening ♪ ♪ in the lane snow is glistening ♪ dear santa claus and mrs. claus. how have you been? i've been actually good this year. please can i have he presents. i deserve presents because i was good most of the year. >> i want a game, a pillow pet. >> a robot that does my homework and an encyclopedia of spiders and a new baseball hat. >> i'm sorry i may have too much on my list. you can get some of the things next christmas if i'm good that is. >> is your real name st. nicholas. if it is, mark the x. >> santa, go pack your sleigh. >> thank you for last year's gift. >> i hope i get my wish. sincerely zane green.

>> jillian craiger. >> come and see santa. oh, ho, ho, ho. i'm so glad to see you. will you be good? will you be good? i have been a very good girl, right? this is a special p.s. >> help all children to get lovely presents, too. >> normally in the morning on christmas you always see crumbs all over the chair. >> you can eat as much as you want. >> applesauce. >> chocolate chips. >> sometimes my dad steals the cookies. >> give every reindeer two carrots and give a carrot to the elf. an eighth of a carrot will do. >> seeing everybody so happy.

>> me and my brother sometimes go crazy on christmas day. >> i can't be too excited on christmas, because there might be a big bag of coal in there. >> merry christmas! >> merry christmas! >> merry christmas. >> merry christmas. >> merry christmas and happy new year! >> all right. so we all have young kids, and they are counting down. luke said yesterday it's taking too long. when will it get there? >> mine wants a magic wand, and when he gets it he says he'll make christmas come faster. >> my daughter is worried it's not snowing, and therefore we cannot have christmas without snow. maria says we might get a dusting here. we need something for santa. something for an easy landing. my 3-year-old is making late revisions to his santa liss a couple days ago. santa has his work cut out for him. >> what does he want? >> a big boy clock with hands on

it and it's not a digital clock, although he's 3 and wouldn't know. he wants one nevertheless. we'll see if santa will come up with it on short notice. >> he's brilliant already. >> so cute. i'm sure santa can handle that. still aahead we have a trivia challenge to test our christmas knowledge. >> that's something. you guys ready for that? >> you're on. >> we'll find out. >> first your local news.

>> this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am sarah caldwell. an early christmas present for ravens fans. after three straight losses, the team dominated the new york giants on sunday with a 33-14 win.

absolutely no turnovers by baltimore. ravens are guaranteed at

>> rain moving into the area today. there could be iced around baltimore. mostly dry on christmas. wednesday, another chance of an icy mixture. dry on